MetaPhysique Weekly Edition #011- Hiding Behind Hard Work

When Hard Work Becomes a Hiding Place

If I asked whether it’s better to make decisions from data or feelings, you’d probably say data. Most people would.

But here’s the twist: one of the most celebrated qualities in our culture — “hard work” — is actually a feeling, not a fact. And because we’ve been taught to see it as the ultimate virtue, we often let that feeling (or the need to feel lie we’ve worked hard) to override our ability to make clear decisions.

Here are two problems with tying hard work to our decision-making:

1) Hard work isn’t data.
There’s no objective scale for it. It’s a perception — a feeling.

2) It gives us a place to hide when we’re unable to get results.
If we can’t get results, we often strive for validation instead. We start judging progress by how hard something feels, chasing the sensation of work instead of the reality of results.

And that creates the distorted thought pattern of:

The “Hard Work” Trap

Back when I owned my training studio, there was a stretch where I wasn’t sure if I could make the business work.

Margins were razor thin. I was stressed every single month about making rent.

Instead of stepping back and thinking strategically, I tried to outwork the uncertainty.

I coached extra sessions.
I constantly cleaned the gym.
I made sure people saw me operating in a visibly tired state. And people loved it — telling me what a machine I was for being at every class and keeping such a spotless facility.

And I ate up that validation.

Looking back, I can see why:

I didn’t fully believe I could pull it off.

When confidence was missing, my ego stepped in to protect itself.

I worked harder — not in the smartest ways, but in the most visible ways — so that if the business failed, no one could accuse me of being lazy.

At the time, I didn’t recognize that pattern. Now I see it clearly — and I’ve noticed the same habit in plenty of people I coach.

The problem with my approach?

That constant grind wasn’t fixing anything.

What the business really needed was a clear-headed, well-rested version of me — someone on top of his own fitness and personal growth — who could think, plan, and execute.

That version of me couldn’t exist when I was too busy performing “hard work” to prove I deserved to succeed.

And I stayed stuck. Working hard, and not making any progress.

The Real Cost

When “working hard” becomes the goal instead of the result, two things happen:

1. You can work your ass off, get applause, and still fail to get what you want.
   

2. You can get incredible results without it feeling “hard,” and sabotage yourself because you feel lazy and undeserving.

Does this mean that I’m “anti hard work” or that I’m lazy?

Maybe.

Your lens — and your level of security or insecurity — will determine how you judge these ideas.

Here’s what I’ve learned:

Work is a means to an end.

We show up to put the reps in so that we can get a result.

If we turn the work into the end itself, we’re setting an incredibly low bar- and likely missing the real win.

These days, I celebrate my results.

And when things don’t go my way, I can still appreciate the growth that comes from striving.

But I don’t celebrate “hard work” just for the sake of it.

That’s pride without accountability.

What I’m trying to do is keep myself accountable for results —

and release any preconceived ideas I have about the amount of work it will take to get them.

The way I hold myself accountable is by finding traction before I pour in effort. Here’s what that looks like.

Work Smarter, Then Harder

In my book, I call this “working smarter, then harder.”

Smarter means getting traction before you turn up the effort.

And traction isn’t complicated — it’s consistent, measurable progress toward a clear goal.

Until you have that, extra effort is just noise.

The fastest way to build traction is leverage — finding the smallest action that unlocks the biggest return.

The Traction Test

Ask yourself:

If you can’t answer “yes” to all three, you don’t have traction yet — no matter how hard you’re working.

Finding Leverage in Your Training

1. Identify the bottleneck — the one weak link keeping you from progress (sleep, protein, form, etc.).

2. Choose the smallest high-impact fix — one thing you can improve this week that will improve everything else.

3. Track one number that proves it’s working — so you know it’s worth keeping.

Signs You’re Chasing the Appearance of Effort Instead of Results:

• You can describe how hard your workouts feel, but not what you’re improving.

• You add complexity to your plan more often than you simplify it.

• You feel guilty taking rest days even when you’re on track to hit your targets.

Once you have traction — you’re hitting your targets, week after week — then you throttle up the effort for a period of time.

Time For A New Perspective

If you’ve been measuring your workouts in soreness, sweat, or the feeling of hard work instead of results, it’s time to change focus.

Because here’s the truth: the world doesn’t care how hard it felt — only whether you hit the target.

Every rep, set, and ounce of effort is tied to a measurable result — not just the appearance of effort.

The more you can detach from the need to feel like you’re working hard, the freer you’ll be to focus on what truly drives your success.

Much Love,

P.S. If this resonated, you’ll love the deep dive I take on traction, leverage, and results in my book, MetaPhysique. It’s packed with strategies to break free from busywork and start getting real wins — inside and outside the gym. [Grab your copy here ]